What is life like being a Black Women Leader by Ketrina Hazell

Growing up, I was a shy little girl with a disability, a girl of color and a Caribbean background and a Brooklyn girl from an underserved community. The bigger picture was “Disability” yet I faced multiple adversities. Who am I? In many cultures, girls are often told not to be outspoken. The question I often ask myself is, was I shy or did I silence my voice to fit in and settle for less?
Oftentimes as a child, I was not asked about emotions. Emotions were never valued. Emotions were often viewed as unhappiness or ungratefulness, so I had to find a way to express myself, to normalize the importance of emotions and use my voice.
In previous years, I started to write a lot. I was 17 years old when I broke away from my own world into sharing my story and created a motto, “let our voices be heard, not just seen.” I started my own website and used social media to share my story, experiences and thoughts with the world.
 Breaking my silence becomes a challenge for others, to understand my view. Maybe I was too young but having a disability comes with not only challenges but big thoughts, feelings, and better yet capabilities that are often not seen.
 
I started this journey when I was in high school when it already felt hopeless and was told college was not possible. My last day in high school when I officially received my high school diploma. Once I rolled out the building, I saw life at a new view and was ready to embrace the world that is not always prepared for people like me.
 
It only felt like a whole new world ahead of me.
 
I began to open the next steps and that was college. But, it was also time for me to find my seat at the table Even if I am the only one with a disability or wheelchair sitting at the table. It began with being accepted to be on the advisory council for special education in Albany and my first opportunity to speak to over 500 people for the first time for an organization I once received supports from. And I have started growing into a speaker and leader ever since. I now serve on a variety of committees/ councils. One, is I am on the Developmental Disabilities Planning Council for NYS where I am the chair of the individuals and families committee in Albany. In many spaces I am in, I am often the youngest one in a wheelchair doing the work that I do, so I have to find my place of belonging after going through years of being the invisible one.

As a young leader the challenges faced is the pressure I have to deal with having to explain my views and mission of my work to others. Since starting my own nonprofit organization, Disability Champions Mentoring Network, aiming to disrupt the school to disability pipeline so no young person will face barriers in reaching their dreams and goals and bridge the gap within the special education system.
There are challenges. The education system is often stuck in a box and not willing to participate in outside resources that will help empower young people and become a tool for educators as well. Young people are not comfortable with the word disability so they will not feel like they do not belong. And the Disability Champion Mentoring Network is not a part of the school curriculum so it makes it hard to access the schools and support the students.
 
As a young leader, I am challenged with how much I should promote myself because there are many young people still trying to find their purpose yet here I am. Having people take me seriously because they are seeing disability as a limitation. I am a woman of color from an underserved community who was never exposed to becoming a leader. Sometimes I feel that I make myself and my dreams and work small to fit others' mindset or expectations. As a young person and a person of color we are often expected to live by statics and society’s expectations.
 
After graduating college with my associates degree in liberal Arts  from Kingsborough Community College in June 2020. It has been years of working towards a dream to show the possibilities. I was also dealing with having to work hard and tirelessly to live up to society's expectation of success and needing to maintain a certain GPA level because if I didn’t Access VR would not continue to fund my college journey. There were times I was over college but I would have been considered a failure. A college dropout and all. I heard so many of my peers tell me they look up to me and if I give up who would they look up to?
It was after earning my degree, I rolled away from statics, stereotypes and expectations and became that leader that redefining what success looks like for everyone and stepped into my dreams without any limit. As a person with a disability and a woman, we often have to prove yourselves and abilities to others. Question our paths instead of celebrating ourselves. Why should that be? Instead I step up to do what makes me happy and do what I dream and show up in a limitless mindset; I can be anything
I am also breaking generational expectations within my family, my home, my culture and so on. Especially as someone with a disability. My parents are from the Caribbean and did not have much opportunities growing up especially educationally. They did not get the chance to go to high school or to receive a higher education like college. I watched my parents especially my mom advocate for me during the day as Dad needed to work but did not have the chance to have a seat at the table and impact on policy and systems and travel to different states etc. like I have been doing. My parents came to America for a better life and advanced opportunities. My parents always encourage their children (including myself) to create our own American dream.
 
Although when it comes to me, it's often a lot of questions, fears, natural reality and challenges but of course I challenge them all and still “Dream. Do it and become.” I graduated high school, completed college with a degree, became Ms. Wheelchair NYS 2018, a motivational speaker, a member of many councils/committees and I am impacting people with disabilities, the field, and their families. I have become a life coach, an author and started a whole nonprofit organization. I have stepped into my true purpose limitlessly.
 
 
All the “no’s” I was told in life, this gives me the courage to make them a yes!
 
I am a visionary. -  Always looking to build/create what I see is needed.
 
I am a problem solver- I love to put the puzzles together in the missing gaps.
 
I make an Impact- through sharing stories and being a change maker.
Becoming transparent as a leader has been the most powerful feeling but it’s always a question. What will people think?
 
In my advocacy, speeches and presentations I always leave with a call to action.
 
One of my call to actions during one of my panel opportunities to speak about my transition experience from high school and college experience. I shared about having to develop a strong support system who understood the college life and disability world to help talk me through where I am in life and the new journey as a recent college graduate. Those experiences led to discussing the importance of mentorship and the development of Disability Champions Mentoring Network Incorporated that officially became a nonprofit organization.
 
As a leader, a woman and my disability there are many challenges.
 
I take the challenges as they come and find ways to overcome the challenges because I believe in possibilities.  People try to attack your dreams and visions as a leader. It happens to me too
 
So what have I learned to do in those situations?
 
I set boundaries. Keep conversations to only how far the person can “see” although my goal is to educate and push that vision.
 
I Stand “roll” strong in my mindset and become a true champion.
I trust in my supporters, team and allies to be my thought partners
The difference I would like to make is my Disability Champion Mentoring Network motto
 
“One Champion. One Mentor. Many pathways at a time”
 
In due time I want to provide employment opportunities to young people as many school leaders and providers are having trouble finding place to employ their young people.
 
When a young person is told the impossible things about their future or better yet their dreams, I am showing and making it possible with my mentorship, knowledge and network. Opportunities that allowed us to connect are, partnering with the Transition College Access Center and the Summer Youth Employment program which allowed us to have student interns.
 
And helping young people navigate the college world and see the college is possible is the dream for what we do?
 
 
Here are some ways we can all be a change maker:
 

• Opening the doors of possibilities, opportunities, resources and network so they can lead and                         become, by example! 
•  Never try to silence your child’s voice or dreams because it can become something big in the future.  
•   Allow them to thrive in their own potential and gifts.

 
Let’s Empower them!

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